CX650 Eurosport engine rebuild with performance mods.

[Tim-That CX Guy]

As you can see, the OEM gasket tolerances are perfect.
The Athena gasket was close, but left some areas that would have been prone to early failure.

 

[Tim-That CX Guy]

Rear case installed, and clutch basket assembled.

 

[Tim-That CX Guy]

Well, FFFUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!

Honda oem CX650 head gaskets are becoming hard to come by, and the head paper gaskets in kits usually fail after a few thousand miles.

CMSNL.com commissioned a company to make metal and graphite gaskets, like the OEM material.

Unfortunately, whoever made the gaskets did not use OEM specs.
This is a very expensive screw up on their part.

 

[Tim-That CX Guy]

Found OEM gaskets.
$150 for the pair.
Used to pay $35 a piece.
Heads on.
Waiting for new oil pump internals.

 

[SFMCjohn]

Hi T-TCXG,

Really enjoying this thread, thanks for all the cool engine rebuild pics!

I've always had a place in my heart for the CX ... in the summer of '77 I was
working delivering lumber and a couple had a pair of matching Silver Wings in the driveway, ready for a cross-country trip ... and I remember guys turning the engine and converting to chain drive to run flat-trackers ...

God bless Honda!

see you in the garage,
-- SFMCjohn

 

[Tim-That CX Guy]

New oil pump came in, installed with a new chain, clutch basket in, and finally assembled.
Ready for a wash, and then final installation.

 

[Tim-That CX Guy]

I was planning on leaving the aged patina on the engine, but after ultrasonic cleaning, the heads came out looking much worse than planned, so Larry (finally) convinced me that the engine needed paint.
I figured that this is a project that he may want to put his official stamp on, and use as a reference, so . . .

 

[Tim-That CX Guy]

Did I mention that he is also fast and methodical?

 

[Tim-That CX Guy]

Almost done.
I have to send the badges to be polished to finish the engine, but it is fully assembled.
Notice something off about the badges?
Hint. They are both supposed to be stamped.
This was the first piece of evidence that my bike was a prototype.
(Aside from being lower than any other known frame or engine number)

 

[Tim-That CX Guy]

Before.

 

[Tim-That CX Guy]

After.
Waiting for a radiator grill, and a few other parts to finish buttoning it up.

 

[Tim-That CX Guy]

Okay, maybe I should have called this thread,
"CX650 Eurosport engine rebuild with performance mods, and a whole lot of other things to make the engine a show stopper"

 

[jetboy]

nice! keep it coming.

 

[Tim-That CX Guy]

She's alive!

 

[Tim-That CX Guy]

I'll have to try to embed the video later, but last night, she was fired up and run to break in the cam lobes a little, as the surface is still rough from being remanufactured.

 

[Tim-That CX Guy]

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/05fQjMx8aWQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Maybe?
Damnit, I hate trying to embed video.

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/05fQjMx8aWQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Damn.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/embed/05fQjMx8aWQ[/youtube]
Damn.

F*** it. Here's the link. Tim's CX650E running

 

[auntiebling]

you only need this part

05fQjMx8aWQ

[ youtube ]05fQjMx8aWQ[ / youtube]

remove spaces to get this:
[youtube]05fQjMx8aWQ[/youtube]

ps: rock on!

 

[Tim-That CX Guy]

Thank you.

The Gentleman in the video is none other than Larry Cargill, whom I have mentioned more than once on the forum.
KeiHin carburetor God, and an incredible bike builder.

 

[Tim-That CX Guy]

And the fan culprit was...
Bad thermo switch, stuck in the open position.
Should have seen that coming. The switch was always a little glitchy, which is why I wired in a manual switch.

Tested a nice clean one, enroute to Sac tomorrow.

 

[Tim-That CX Guy]

Engine Badges on (this is the blank badge that Honda missed on the prototype), bike running, and Larry reports after a short ride that she pulls hard, fires up without choke, and the tires were low.
Oh, and the horsepower band now pulls well beyond normal. Looking forward to getting dyno results (after a dyno break in) when I get her back home.